GST not to affect U-17 World Cup ticket prices

Kolkata, July 4 (IANS) While the sports sector overall has been impacted by the July 1 rollout of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) with equipment cost and price of entry tickets for tournaments attracting up to 28 per cent tax, the FIFA U-17 World Cup tickets would not be affected, according to Local Organising Committee (LoC) tournament director Javier Ceppi.

“We had taken a conscious decision to keep our tickets prices economical, because we wanted universal access to the World Cup,” Ceppi told IANS over phone.

According to the new indirect tax regime ushered in at the stroke of midnight on July 1, tickets priced below Rs 250 will be exempt from GST.

Ceppi said that while most World Cup tickets will be priced below Rs 250, those few that fall in the higher bracket would not cost the buyer much due to the pan-India indirect taxation reform.

“Most of our tickets have been priced below the Rs 250 threshold and will not attract GST, so it is something that was resolved even before GST came into effect. For the few tickets we have over Rs 250, we will not pass on any extra cost due to GST to the fans and we will follow all regulations and procedures as established in the law,” the Chilean added.

The first phase of World Cup tickets had a discount of 60 percent on the minimum priced tickets to those buying tickets in block for all the matches at a venue.

But post-GST rollout where the Indian Premier League will attract the highest tax slab of 28 per cent, other events organised by national sports federations (NSFs) will attract 18 per cent on tickets.

The cost of a number of sporting equipment will also shoot up.

City-based India batsman Manoj Tiwary urged the cricket coaching centres to come forward and help budding cricketers, who are from financially weak background, with basic kit.